Report of Missouri Farmers* Week. 147 



voted some of their time to the construction of better plows, har- 

 rows and reaping, threshing and milling machinery the direct pro- 

 ducers could have produced more food stuff per man, if not per 

 acre, and thereby had more food per population. 



The production of that which will aid in further increase in 

 production is the highest type of economy. 



Insomuch as all people live almost wholly upon the products 

 of the soil, they are or should be interested in the question of sur- 

 plus food production. Since we give to the man who grows the 

 grain, first right to it, he toi save enough for bread and seed, and 

 to sell only the surplus, all people in cities are vitally affected, not 

 by the total production, but rather by the size of the surplus, for 

 upon that portion the urban population must live. Government 

 and state aid in matters of food production are therefore merely the 

 people as a whole spending a part of their own money in an 

 endeavor to guarantee to themselves an adequate surplus over the 

 producers' requirements. It is clear, therefore, that agriculture 

 is not being studied for the farmer, but through him for humanity. 



While in matters of improved agricultural methods the farmer 

 gets first benefit, it is also incumbent upon him to first put his own 

 money, brains and energy into the business to get it, and that in 

 the last analysis the city dweller will be more keenly affected than 

 will the farmer. 



Our government not only has the human right to spend of 

 public funds to improve or increase production, but it is actually the 

 duty of the Government to do so, just so long as the product of 

 such study is of real value to the race. But when on the other hand 

 the article produced or the substance grown is not needed by 

 mankind, then such use of public funds is a misappropriation, an 

 indirect subsidy to those individuals engaged in the industry. 



The United States Government, and no less than twenty-three 

 states of the Union are at the present time thus feeding a certain 

 useless industry, to wit, the tobacco, under the guise of aid to 

 agriculture. 



Even if, for the sake of argument, we grant that the use of 

 tobacco is not injurious to the adult, we must all admit its harmful 

 effects when used by young boys, the mere children of our public 

 schools. State aid in the culture of tobacco means just one of two 

 things; it either cheapens the product and thereby encourages its 

 use, or it increases the profits of those who are engaged in the 

 industry. In either case, our money has been used to harm our 



